Practical Considerations
by umeboshi-girl
Summary: A slice of everyday life in the Kamiya dojo. Kenshin finds something he wasn't supposed to. This is a quick oneshot set after the Jinchuu arc.


Title: Practical Considerations  
Rating: T  
Summary: A slice of everyday life in the Kamiya dojo. Kenshin finds something he wasn't supposed to. This is a quick one-shot, set after the Jinchuu arc.  
A/N: Ok, so I tried to look up some of the details, but unfortunately I couldn't find much information on it. Just assume Megumi knew what she was doing, ok? Enjoy the fic!

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Kaoru was still laughing to herself as she skipped into the kitchen, her long tail of hair bouncing behind her. Yahiko's expression had been priceless! Teasing him about Tsubame was always good for a laugh, even if it did make her seem like the mischievous tanuki she was nicknamed after.

As always, her face lit up when she spotted Kenshin. He was standing by the stove with his back to her, gingerly taste-testing some bit of spice.

"Kenshin!"

He turned and just as she was about to ask him what he was making she spotted the small patterned tin in his hand. Before she could think, Kaoru had leapt across the kitchen and snatched it from him. She whirled around to shove the container in a nearby cupboard.

"Oh, you don't want that! It's just some old tea and it doesn't taste very good anyway." She forced herself to stop babbling, even as she silently cursed herself for the furious blush that burned its way across her cheeks and over the bridge of her nose.

Kenshin's expression was even, but the look in his eyes was entirely too keen. The constant rurouni mask of affable denseness had vanished. Kaoru fidgeted nervously and tried to ignore the way her heart was pounding, hoping against hope that the redhead didn't realize what he had been holding only a moment ago.

"Kaoru-dono." He said her name as both a greeting and admonishment for her rude behavior. "Where did you get that?"

She gulped and felt the sweat break out on her forehead as she lied. "It's for my allergies. Megumi-san gave it to me. It's not that important. So, what are we having for dinner?"

Megumi really had given her the herbs, but in truth the tea had little to do with her occasional spring sniffles and everything to do with the fact that Kaoru was living alone with a man she was very much in love with.

Unsurprisingly, the change in subject didn't phase him. Why had she fallen for a swordsman who could read her ki like an open book? If only Kenshin was half as oblivious as he pretended to be!

"Is that what you've been drinking in the mornings?"

Kaoru bit her tongue to keep herself from replying and tried to read Kenshin's expression. He seemed normal enough, but there was a sharp look in his eyes and a tension in his shoulders that made her suspicious.

Had he figured it out?

Sure, he had wandered for ten years and was fairly worldly, but he knew hardly anything about women. The awkward way he handled Megumi's advances was proof enough of that. It was true that Kenshin had been married once, but from what she had gathered Tomoe had been very reserved. The subject had probably never come up between them.

Kaoru swallowed, dread filling her stomach, as she suddenly remembered that he had briefly worked as an apothecary during the war. Human nature being what it was, there was probably a good market for herbal contraceptives.

Which meant that Kenshin was perfectly aware of _exactly_ what she had been drinking every morning for the past two months. Kaoru had never felt so humiliated! Sure, Megumi had pushed it on her, admonishing that it was better to be safe than sorry if things got out of hand, but Kaoru had never expected Kenshin to catch on!

"I - um. It." Kaoru stuttered awkwardly, suddenly finding the floor oh so fascinating. "Does it matter?" She asked in a tiny voice completely unlike her usual boldly cheerful tone.

Her feelings for Kenshin had always hung between them, unspoken and only vaguely acknowledged, but she knew he returned her affection to some extent and that he kept a very close eye on her. No matter what Hiko said, Kenshin was by no means stupid. He was perfectly capable of connecting the dots. Kaoru might as well have marched up to him and declared herself sexually available!

Did he think less of her for it? They weren't even courting! He had every right to be offended by her presumption. At the moment she was painfully aware every single one of the eleven years between them. Megumi was right; she was just a silly little girl pretending to be a woman.

Kaoru could feel tears gathering just under her lashes.

She risked a glance upwards and was startled to find him staring at her with a narrowed, calculating expression on his face. Kaoru saw the exact moment he decided to drop it. In the blink of an eye Kenshin was smiling with good humor, apparently ignorant of what had just transpired as if he hadn't been boring a hole into her skull with his eyes only seconds ago.

"We're having miso with tofu for dinner, Kaoru-dono. It should be done in half an hour, that it should. Why don't you go wash up?" He turned back to the chopped vegetables and other assorted ingredients scattered over the counter, somehow managing to be gently dismissive.

She shifted from foot to foot, wondering why he had let her off the hook so easily. He glanced up questioningly, seemingly surprised to find her still standing there, and Kaoru flushed again before muttering something unintelligible and fleeing the kitchen as fast her restrictive kimono allowed.

Kaoru made a dash for her room, determined to try and suffocate herself with her own blankets as soon as she reached her futon. If only she could hide in bed for the rest of her life!

And that was_ not_ an invitation for Kenshin to join her!

END


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